


First and Most Loyal Protector

by avanti_90



Category: Vorkosigan Saga - Lois McMaster Bujold
Genre: Drabble Sequence, Family, Gen, Time Period: Reign of Gregor Vorbarra, Time Period: Vorkosigan Regency, Wordcount: 500-1.000
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-08-23
Updated: 2010-08-23
Packaged: 2017-10-11 05:43:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 540
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/109028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/avanti_90/pseuds/avanti_90
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Gregor and Aral, over the years.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First and Most Loyal Protector

_Gregor's right hand moved hesitantly to touch the shoulder of his first and most loyal protector. "I serve Barrayar," he offered. "Its justice is my duty. I never meant to dispense injustice."_

_-The Warrior’s Apprentice_

 

_Fear_

The big man in green uniform goes to one knee before the child. Gregor is immobilized by the sheer intensity of his gaze, passing straight through his skin as if to examine the depths of his soul. Then it is gone, those eyes filling with emotions he cannot understand. “Your grandfather has asked me to be your Regent. Has anybody explained to you what that means?”  
Gregor is too terrified to remember what his mother said, and can only shake his head throughout the meeting. But when Lord Vorkosigan says, “I think you can do well,” he feels unaccountably proud.

 

_Desire_

The day news of the Cetagandan surrender reaches Barrayar, Gregor realizes that even Lady Vorkosigan can weep. It is the sudden relief, the lifting of the fear that kept an entire planet paralyzed for months. Yet Aral's brief message is cold and grim, filled with names of the dead.  
When the Lord Regent returns, people line the streets from the spaceport to the Residence. Gregor watches the celebrations, and wants desperately to someday guard his liegefolk with that same fierce courage, to wield that same power over men’s minds, to be as admired and feared and honored as that man.

 

_Betrayal_

Gregor tries to ignore the little inner voice that keeps insisting,_ this is just not possible_, and fails miserably.  
Officially, this is only Miles' trial. The reason for that transparent fiction is that nobody has worked up the courage to call the Prime Minister a traitor to his face. Yet.  
“Is it reasonable,” asks Vordrozda, “that a plot of this magnitude could have been advanced so far by a son with no knowledge by his father?”  
Every man in the Council chamber stills, waiting. But Count Vorkosigan remains silent. Gregor sees the pain in his eyes, and cannot meet them.

 

_Service_

He’s argued, reasoned, even begged, to no avail. “Barrayar cannot lose you again,” says Aral, flatly. Gregor knows he’s right, and doesn’t care. He will _not_ sit in his cocoon and send other men to die in his name. Not this time.  
“We will command Our fleet at Vervain. That is an order, _Admiral_.”  
There is a long, long silence, during which Gregor’s brain slowly catches up with his mouth and freezes. He steels himself for Aral’s fury; facing the Cetagandan fleet, he thinks, will be infinitely easier than this.  
To his complete shock, the Count is smiling. “Yes, Sire.”

 

_Honor_

When the Viceroy hears Gregor and Laisa’s request, it is several minutes before he is able to speak again. “Komarr,” he finally says, “will be furious.”  
“I know,” agrees Gregor; he has spent weeks imagining it. “But you, sir, taught me that some things are more important than politics.” He hesitates for a heartbeat. “As are some people.”  
What he leaves unsaid, because they all know it, is that he would rather die than curse his firstborn child with the _other _name.  
A week later, he and his wife open the replicator, and present Prince Aral Vorbarra to their Empire.

 


End file.
